Analysis of Digital Disruption and Transformation in M&S Projects

This report, focusing on Unit 6: Managing a Successful Business Project, examines how Marks and Spencer (M&S) navigates the challenges of digital disruption and transformation. It begins with a background study on the impact of digital technologies on businesses, followed by the project's aim and objectives, which include analyzing M&S's strategies. A project management plan for M&S is presented, covering aspects like cost, scope, time, quality, communication, and risk. The report includes a work breakdown structure, Gantt diagram, and the application of qualitative and quantitative research methods, along with an analysis of research data. Key findings highlight M&S's awareness of digital technologies, the challenges they pose, and their impact on business operations. The report also explores the types of disruptions, M&S's ability to manage them, and the effectiveness of its response, concluding with recommendations and a reflective account. Data analysis reveals insights into how M&S handles technological changes and the factors influencing its performance. The report is a detailed analysis of M&S’s digital transformation journey.

Unit 6: Managing a Successful
Business Project (L4)

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Background study...................................................................................................................1
P1. Aim and objectives of project..........................................................................................1
P2. Project management plan for Marks and Spencer............................................................2
P3 Work break down structure and Gantt diagram................................................................3
M1...........................................................................................................................................6
................................................................................................................................................6
D1...........................................................................................................................................7
P4 Applying qualitative and quantitative research methods..................................................7
M2...........................................................................................................................................9
P5 Analyse research data or design by using appropriate tools and techniques..................10
P6 Conclusion and recommendation....................................................................................20
M3.........................................................................................................................................21
D2.........................................................................................................................................22
P7 Reflection on the research activities................................................................................22
M4.........................................................................................................................................22
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................23

INTRODUCTION
Title
“How business have coped with major challenges of digital disruption and transformation.”
Background study
The digital technologies have impacted operations of a business enterprise in a very
significant manner. The use of digital technology have laid a deep and crucial impact on business
activities that will be followed by a business enterprise. It helps in good rise in effectiveness and
rectification of different sort of trade related issues that arise in a firm. The business enterprise
will see through effective handling of these operations. The effectively used digital technologies
will help in development of a positive and supportive environment for customer to interact and
work with business entity. Besides this, a good use of digital technologies will support the firm
to gain a good competitive advantage (Ward, 2016.). Other than this, it has helped in making
services and products that are been offered by an organisation to be more innovative and
interactive. Other than this, issues related to digital disruption and transformation are to be well
handled by organisation that will impact overall functionality and thus help in increase in
meeting of targeted aims and objectives that will impact overall functions and thus will facilitate
rise in effectiveness of firm to perform business activities.
P1. Aim and objectives of project
Aim:
“To analyse measures taken by an organisation to cope with disruptions and transformation in
technologies - A case study of Marks and Spencer”
Objectives:
 To have a good knowledge of various digital technologies
 To identify different disruption and transformation related to digital technologies (Turner,
2016).
 To analyse impact of this disruption and transformation on different business activities.
 Providing effective recommendations and conclusion based on research and give out a
reflective account to meet targeted aim and objectives
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P2. Project management plan for Marks and Spencer
A good project management plan will support effective rise in customer satisfaction level
that helps in effective planning of business project that helps in effective management of trade
operations and thus facilitate a good management of functions of a retail enterprise in a better
way (Kaiser, El Arbi and Ahlemann, 2015.). The project management plan for Marks and
Spencer etc
Various elements are been taken in consideration that lay a very deep and crucial impact
on different business objectivities that are been taken in consideration and thus helps in good
facilitation of activities that are been followed (Turner, 2016). Some major factors that are been
taken in consideration are:
Cost: Cost has to be managed in a very effective way. A good planning of financial
resources will support in better rise in effectiveness of project. The disruption and transformation
process impact it in a better way. For carry out several activities such as internet, transportation,
printing and stationary, researcher requires effective fund. It is very difficult in facilitating
various activities and processes in a systematic manner due to insufficient fund. Present project
will be taken approximately $400.00 cost in order to accomplish project aims and objectives
which will be used to carry out the research and analysis process related to the project.
Scope: Planning and effective management of business plan will be impacted by
transformation in digital technologies that will help in improving scope of a retail organisation in
a better way (Ward, 2016).The current research study have huge scope in the future as it main
aim is to analyse measures taken by an organisation to cope with disruptions and transformation
in technologies. With help of this investigation, researcher can understand that how business
organisation can improve its performance by implement digital technology. Study will cover the
importance of new transformation technologies in order to increase the efficiency level of the
company. Along with this, the study also reduce the negative factors which influence the overall
business operations as well. However it will not include the negative impact of failure of usage
of technological transformation.
Time: Effective management plan for project will help in effective management of
functions and thus help in good rise in efficiency of retail activities that are been followed by
firm. Well planning of time and schedules to carry out the business operations and activities will
help the firm to carry out the project related activities effectively.
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Quality: Project planning will help retail enterprise to maintain and improve quality of
product and services that will help in rise in customer's satisfaction level. Effective and different
approaches will be undertaken in the consideration to get more precise data.
Communication: project plan also support effective rise in improvement of
communication process that help in better execution of various business activities in a very
effective way (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017). In order to collect information regarding the digital
technology implementation within organisation, scholar has taken personal email address of 40
respondents as the line of communication. Thus, for conducting the survey, scholar have
prepared a systematic questionnaire along with questions of digital technology and sent this
questionnaire to 40 respondents with the help of mail. This is the best strategy for
communication through which respondents can freely provide answer all questions.
Risk and resources: planning also helps in mitigating risk factors and effective
management of risks that will help in increasing the effectiveness of cited retail enterprise. The
major risk is associated related to plagiarism. As in the investigation study, secondary data has
been included so it is major reason related to plagiarism. Besides, risk of failure is always been
present in the project management task due to the factors such as insufficient of resources, funds
or opportunities.
P3 Work break down structure and Gantt diagram
Task
Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource
Names Cost
Auto
Schedule
d
Identification of
Project Title 19 days Thu
8/30/18
Tue
9/25/18 human $5.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Making of Problem
Statements 10 days Wed
9/26/18
Tue
10/9/18 1 technical $10.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Setting Deadlines and
Resource Allocation 4 days Wed
10/10/18
Mon
10/15/18 1,2 $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Literature Review 5 days Tue
10/16/18
Mon
10/22/18 3 $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Choosing Various
Techniques for
Investigation
6 days Tue
10/23/18
Tue
10/30/18 4 physical
resources $10.00
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Auto
Schedule
d
Calculation of Cost 6 days Wed
10/31/18
Wed
11/7/18 5 financial
resources $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Data Interpretation and
Data Analysis 7 days Thu
11/8/18
Fri
11/16/18 6 $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Evaluation of Results 5 days Mon
11/19/18
Fri
11/23/18 7 Software’s $25.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Giving Out
Conclusion and
Recommendations
3 days Mon
11/26/18
Wed
11/28/18 8,6 $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Documentation of
Results 2 days Thu
11/29/18
Fri
11/30/18 9 $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Report Submission 2 days Mon
12/3/18
Tue
12/4/18 10 $0.00
Illustration 1: Network Diagram
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Illustration 2: Gantt chart
5

Illustration 3: Work Break down Structure
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M1
The effective project management plan will help in good increase in the effective
planning and execution of the research process that will help in gaining the suitable outputs from
the business process and achieve the targeted aims and objectives.
Task Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource
Names Cost
Auto
Scheduled
Identification of
Project Title 19 days Thu
8/30/18
Tue
9/25/18 human $5.00
Auto
Scheduled
Making of Problem
Statements 10 days Wed
9/26/18
Tue
10/9/18 1 technical $10.00
Auto
Scheduled
Setting Deadlines and
Resource Allocation 4 days Wed
10/10/18
Mon
10/15/18 1,2 $0.00
Auto
Scheduled Literature Review 5 days Tue
10/16/18
Mon
10/22/18 3 $0.00
Auto
Scheduled
Choosing Various
Techniques for
Investigation
6 days Tue
10/23/18
Tue
10/30/18 4 physical
resources $10.00
Auto
Scheduled Calculation of Cost 6 days Wed
10/31/18
Wed
11/7/18 5 financial
resources $0.00
Auto
Scheduled
Data Interpretation and
Data Analysis 7 days Thu
11/8/18
Fri
11/16/18 6 $0.00
Auto
Scheduled Evaluation of Results 5 days Mon
11/19/18
Fri
11/23/18 7 softwares $25.00
Auto
Scheduled
Giving Out Conclusion
and Recommendations 3 days Mon
11/26/18
Wed
11/28/18 8,6 $0.00
Auto
Scheduled
Documentation of
Results 2 days Thu
11/29/18
Fri
11/30/18 9 $0.00
Auto
Scheduled Report Submission 2 days Mon
12/3/18
Tue
12/4/18 10 $0.00
The above project management plan aids to scholar in meet all aims and objective of the project.
The main purpose of this research is to analyse measures taken by an organisation to cope with
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disruptions and transformation in technologies. For addressing this objective, scholar have
developed systematic project management plan along with various aspects and activities of
investigation such as cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk and resources.
D1
The effective research project management plan and appropriate research methodologies
will help in good rise in the operations that will support a good rise in achieving of the targeted
aims and objectives through the better assessment of the output data received from the research
process. Project management procedure is an administration process of planning and controlling
the services and implementation of the project. In the current study, researcher have applied
various kinds of research methods and techniques such as deductive research approach,
positivism research philosophies, qualitative research technique, primary data collection method
etc. With help of qualitative research technique, researcher can conduct the study in more deep
and effective manner and represent information with help of graphs, table, charts etc. On the
other hand, with help of primary data collection, scholar can collect fresh information about the
subject. Deductive research approach focuses on relation and lead the exploration from general
to particular way. The proper implementation of deductive research approach and primary data
collection methods along with qualitative research techniques which will help the firm to carry
out the business operations and activities in a proper manner. This can be critically evaluated that
utilising this measures will help the firm to enhance the project management.
P4 Applying qualitative and quantitative research methods.
An effective analysis of data gained from a research process is very important as it helps
in gaining suitable output and meet targeted operation's and actions that are been taken in
consideration by business organisation (Dutta and Bose, 2015). The effective following of
research methodologies help in good rise in customer satisfaction level will help in good rise in
effectiveness of firm that will help in good rise in operations and thus will support a god
handling of business operations in a better way (Serra and Kunc, 2015). Besides this, the
efficient assessment of different sort of methodologies are:
Research design: Better designing of research process will help in effective planning and
thus facilitate a good rise in operations that help in good rise in meeting of research and project
requirements and come up with innovative ideas and actions to obtain appropriate outcomes
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from research. It also helps in better rise in customer satisfaction level. For current research
project, exploratory form of research design is been taken in thought process by data
investigator.
Research philosophy: It involves ideology that involves better planning of operations
and actions that are been followed by retail business entity like Marks and Spencer. It helps in
carrying out of effective research process in order to gain knowledge about a particular project or
aim and objective related to functionality of firm this will also help in suitable rise in
effectiveness of business operations to handle business activities within firm. The research
philosophy will also support better management of outputs received from research process
(Kendrick, T., 2015). There are basically two types of philosophies that are been followed within
firm, named interpretivism and positivism. For current research process, positivism approach is
been utilized that will help in good rise in knowledge and insight by utilization of a good
questionnaire on impact of digital technologies.
Research approach: For the effective and better assessment of the different sort of
assumptions that are been taken in consideration by the firm. It will help a researcher to take
suitable and appropriate measures to increase the effectiveness of the research process that is
been carried by the business organisation (Gangotra and Shankar, 2016). The research approach
will involve the utilization of effective analysis and hypothesis that will support a good rise in
the customer satisfaction level that will help in effective planning of the business activities that
support a good management of the research and analysis process that will help in good rise in the
businesses that will support a good handling of the operations that will help in suitable
management of data investigation process. For the current research project, the deductive form of
research approach is been taken in consideration that will help in good rise in the customer
satisfaction level. It will involve various hypothesis that will help in good rise in achieving of
outputs from a business activity.
Research strategy: The adoption of a good research strategy will help in acquiring
various measures that will help in good rise in the operations that support a good rise in the
operations that will support a good planning of the data investigation process (Hillson and
Murray-Webster, 2017.). It will also help in effectively collecting the necessary data or
information that will support a good rise in customer satisfaction level. The data investigator will
look after the better planning of the operations which will support a good rise in planning and
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executing of the research process. There are basically two forms of data investigation and
strategies named qualitative and quantitative. For the current research process,
Data collection: For analysing the measures used by the cited enterprise to identify the
measures to cope the digital disruption and transformation, appropriate data collection methods
will be imbibed and followed by the data investigator at the cited firm. The effective data
collection will help in good rise in the knowledge and gaining of the data and information about
the impact of digital disruption and transformation on the business activities that are been
followed by the business operations that are been followed by the cited retail enterprise (Crane
and Matten, 2016). The proper data collection that is been adopted by the firm will help the
business enterprise to grow and develop in a better way. Collecting of appropriate data and
information will support a good increase in the data collection and meeting of targeted
operations. For the current research project, primary data collection process is been undertaken
that will help in good rise in customer satisfaction level and meeting of the targeted aims and
objectives set by the firm. This will involve the better use of questionnaire for the assessment
process by the firm (Henson and Sandberg, 2017).
Sampling: For having a better idea of the data and information that is been used within
the organisation, sampling of the data is very necessary that will help in good management of the
business operations that will help in good rise in the operations that will help in good planning of
the trade operations. The sampling is the major factor that decides the extent and amount of data
that is been collected within the firm. Besides this, it will help the data investigator to plan the
business operations and activities. For the current research process, random sampling is been
used that will involve the assessment of 20 employee's as respondent for the research process
that will followed at the cited business enterprise (Nicholas and Steyn, 2017.).
Data analysis: The proper data analysis will help in good planning and management of
the data that will help in good rise in the business operations that will support in good rise in
development of proper insight and knowledge. It involves the effective assessment of the
collected data in order to provide a good planning of the business operations and thus help in
effectively meeting of targeted goals and activities. For the current research project, data
investigator has used the thematic analysis which is a useful technique to gain the idea from the
collected data in a very systematic manner.
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